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Sunday, 17 June 2012

India worried over US security plans for Asia

With China flexing muscles and the US all set to bolster its presence
in the Asia-Pacific, India now looks for a “common but flexible” Asian
security architecture to determine the rule of games in strategically
important Indian Ocean, through which bulk of the world’s oil and cargo
moves.
Days after the US announced its plans to add one more carrier battle
group in the Asia-Pacific, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is
apprehensive that it could lead to a steady increase in militarisation
of the region, to which Asian powers will react.
In the changed security dynamics, India needed common but flexible
security framework which will allow day-to-day level functioning without
any conflict, top government sources said. A beginning was made at last
year’s East Asian security summit where for the first time regional
security issues were discussed.
“Our interest is in freedom of our navigation, which should not lead
to any conflict of interests in the Asia-Pacific,” sources said, clearly
hinting at the two instances where China objected to Indian presence in
South China Sea. Beijing’s sovereignty claim on a part of Indian Ocean
ruffled feathers not only in India but in other South and East Asian
countries too. As a consequence, the Navy intensified its maritime
diplomacy to leave its footprint all over Indian Ocean.
A four-ship fleet from Vishakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval Command
travelled up to Japan making port calls in India’s south Asian
neighbours. The fleet reached Sanghai earlier this week for a six-day
stay. Another four-ship fleet from Mumbai-based Western Naval Command is
all set to undertake a voyage up to the coast of Africa and Europe
furthering the Navy’s blue water ambition.
Two more warships are on duty at piracy infested Gulf of Aden and
monitoring the exclusive economic zone of Seychelles on the request of
the island nation, signalling a pan-Indian Ocean deployment of Indian
Navy. A boost will come with the induction of Russian origin aircraft
carrier INS Vikramaditya on December 4. Onboard air trial of Mig-29K
will begin in the White Sea in a month’s time.